Attorney of 'Barefoot Bandit' upset by client's treatment in prison

In this Dec. 16, 2011 photo, John Henry Browne, right, the attorney for Colton Harris-Moore, left, who is also known as the "Barefoot Bandit," sits in Island County Superior Court in Coupeville, Wash.

Ted S. Warren, Associated Press

Summary

The lawyer of Colton Harris-Moore, the 21-year-old known as the "Barefoot Bandit," is seeking to have his client removed from the intensive management unit at Walla Walla State Penitentiary in Washington.

The lawyer of Colton Harris-Moore, the 21-year-old known as the "Barefoot Bandit," is seeking to have his client removed from the intensive management unit at Walla Walla State Penitentiary in Washington.

The thief, who was sentenced to 6 years in prison in January, is currently being held in the same area as convicts facing the death penalty.

"There are times when he's locked down 72 hours at a time," attorney John Henry Browne told MyNorthwest.com. "It's basically punishment or torture. It's certainly not appropriate for a property crime defendant."

Browne said he was told the solitary cell is due to Harris-Moore's high-profile status, and said that the cell has no window, no TV and no radio, and that Harris-Moore is only allowed out once a day.

Harris-Moore gained his nickname and notoriety for a two-year international crime spree that included a rash of break-ins and boat and plane thefts. He was arrested in the Bahamas in 2010 and deported to the United States.